In recent years, with the rapid development of society and economics, the frequent population flow and transportation activities have increased the demand for the improved load capacity and resilience of existing structures and new construction. Compared with traditional construction materials including concrete, steel, and wood, fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) materials possess outstanding properties including light weight, high stiffness- and strength-to-weight ratio, and strong corrosion resistance. As a consequence, FRC materials, such as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP), engineering cementitious composite (ECC), ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), have emerged as the viable candidates for the strengthening of existing structures and new constructions. Meanwhile, the increasing applications of FRC materials correspond with the theme of energy conservation and environmental protection being advocated in the engineering field.

The FRCs with outstanding properties are largely due to the multi-scale structures consisting of fiber, matrix, and fiber/matrix interface that range from nano- to macro-scale. In order to facilitate the applications of FRCs, it requires the understanding and design of composite multi-scale structures for achieving advanced properties. This Research Topic is to explore the scientific advances in the multi-scale structural design and property characterization of FRC materials, so as to broaden the engineering applications of composite materials to address critical needs and challenges.

This Research Topic is to focus on the multi-scale investigation of the FRCs via the integration of disparate techniques that span from nano- to macro-scale, linking up with the advanced engineering applications. A special focus is on the joint efforts of multidisciplinary techniques that cover innovative structural design, sophisticated property characterization, and advanced engineering applications, that include, but are not limited to:

• Design of novel FRCs with low-cost fibers or alternative matrix
• Design of functional FRCs with advanced properties such as self-healing, self-sensing, self-cleaning, etc.
• Static and dynamic properties of FRCs
• Long-term durability of FRCs in harsh environments
• Interfacial properties between fiber and matrix and the influence on FRC
• Structural applications of FRCs in strengthening of existing structures and new constructions

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Frontiers in Materials

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